Ship Stability News

Salvage and post-fire recovery operations continue on the Grande Costa D’Avorio car carrier at Port Newark as crews work to transfer vehicles and cargo from the vessel to the port facility.As previously reported by MarineLink.com, Grimaldi's cargo vessel Grande Costa D’Avorio caught fire on July 5 at the Port of Newark. Two firefighters died in the incident. The fire was extinguished by the morning of July 11.To date, all vehicles have been removed from the cargo decks of the ship…

Two firefighters died in a tragic incident at the Port of Newark, New Jersey, in an attempt to extinguish a fire that broke out 9:30 pm, (EST) on the ro/ro vessel Grande Costa d’Avorio, operated by Grimaldi Deep Sea, a subsidiary of the Grimaldi Group. The Italian-flagged ship was engaged in the loading operations of various rolling units, such as vans, cars, and trucks, when the fire started on deck number 10, which was attended by local stevedores and crew members.According to Grimaldi…

The livestock carrier Nine Eagle suffered a major engine failure in the Port of Darwin, Australia, on May 15, while loaded with approximately 1,800 cattle.The Nine Eagle, built in 2006, is a converted general cargo ship currently flagged by Panama. The vessel was headed to Indonesia on charter for Perth-based company Livestock Shipping Services.The sourcing of parts to repair the engine is taking longer than anticipated, so the cattle were unloaded on May 21 and transported to a Pre-export Quarantine Facility where they will remain subject to biosecurity control until they can be exported.As well as animal welfare concerns, the ABC reports that the accumulation of manure onboard was a factor in the decision to unload the animals.

Classification society DNV has awarded type approval to NAPA’s new onboard stability software for the passenger sector – NAPA Stability, a new onboard stability solution that will replace NAPA Loading Computer, the stability management solution for passenger ships.This type approval establishes that the software meets DNV’s requirements for the assessment of ship stability in both intact and damaged conditions, and the relevant IACS requirements to enable Safe Return to Port (IACS UR L5 Type 4 requirements)…

Salvors will attempt to refloat the Ever Forward on Tuesday following a week of dredging to free the grounded containership outside the Port of Baltimore.According to the port's executive director William Doyle, a team of five tugs, including two pushing on the ship's starboard side, two pulling from port side and one long pull from stern, will aim to dislodge the 1,095-foot ship, which went hard aground outside of the Craighill Channel near Gibson Island on March 13.During the refloat attempt…

Kongsberg Digital (KDI) announced it has won a tender to supply a range of maritime simulator solutions for the South Metropolitan TAFE (Technical and Further Education) institute in Fremantle, Western Australia. Funded through the Department of Training and Workforce Development, this contract was awarded to KDI through an open and competitive process.The new contract commits KDI to the delivery, installation and commissioning of a complete maritime simulator suite of hardware and software technology, replacing SM TAFE’s current maritime simulator systems.

Herbert Engineering Corp. (HEC) appointed Hendrik Bruhns to succeed Spencer Schilling, who formally stepped down as the company's president on July 1.Bruhns had been serving as an executive vice president and manager of business development for HEC since January 1, 2021, and he has served on the HEC board since 2009. A trained naval architect. Bruhns comes from an 11-year commitment as president of the HEC affiliate and maritime software firm, Herbert-ABS Software Solutions LLC.

A preliminary investigation report published by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) details that a containership was rolling and pitching heavily in rough seas and high winds when it lost 50 containers overboard about 46 nautical miles south-east of Sydney in May 2020.The ongoing investigation’s preliminary report sets out the incident’s sequence of events and outlines that as the APL England travelled down the east coast of Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology issued regular forecasts regarding a complex low pressure system developing off the south-east of the country…

Maritime software, services, and data analysis provider NAPA said it has been awarded type approval by DNV GL for its latest loading computer, the NAPA Loading Computer Type 4 and Loading Computer System Damage Control, LCS(DC). The type approval, which is the first of its kind to be awarded by DNV GL, is significant in enabling further adoption of a new generation of loading computers, which assess damage in real time with increased accuracy, allowing crew to make essential decisions on ship stability.According to NAPA…

Brookes Bell has strengthened its marine casualty capability with the addition of two listed special casualty representatives (SCRs) boosting the total number of SCRs within the company to five.SCRs are highly specialist salvage and wreck removal consultants and, as such, number only around 50 globally. They are appointed by the Lloyd’s of London’s SCOPIC Committee for their exceptional level of expertise in the field of salvage and wreck removal.Joining the Brookes Bell team are William Leschaeve and Michael Riddell.Riddell is a senior master mariner, based in Brookes Bell’s Singapore office. Following an initial career at sea with Safmarine, he later served on ocean-going salvage tugs responsible for ocean towage and emergency response.

International Maritime Organization (IMO) 's Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC 7), meeting at IMO Headquarters (3-7 February), is expected to finalize a comprehensive set of interim guidelines on second generation intact stability criteria, including guidelines on vulnerability criteria, direct stability failure assessment and operational measures.According to the UN body the aim is to produce a set of guidelines for trial use. The session will also further develop associated explanatory notes.The Sub-Committee is also set to finalize draft amendments to the Revised Explanatory Notes to SOLAS chapter II-1 subdivision and damage stability regulations.For a ship to be considered seaworthy and safe it must be designed to remain stable and afloat in all conditions…

Innovation in the world of marine design and propulsion continues to move forward at record speed, driven by new emissions regulation and the push toward emission free ships. In September 2019 an innovative new technology from Wavefoil AS of Trondheim, Norway was installed on the Faroese ferry M/F Teistin, the first ship in the world with retractable bow foils that are designed not only for ship stability but also to convert wave energy directly into propulsive thrust.The foils are designed to both help in saving fuel and improving comfort on board.

Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has announced a vessel design it calls "EeneX," for a 90-type (90,000 DWT) next-generation coal carrier, developed in cooperation with Japanese shipyards.The vessel's design draws on the shipyard's extensive knowledge of coal carriers as well as MOL's know-how in ship operation, with the goal of achieving safe, reliable and economically efficient transport of coal, an important energy resource for Japan.MOL proposes the "EeneX" brand under its concept of providing optimal, "stress-free" transport service for customers and the environment.Main characteristics of EeneX includes: The adoption of a double-hull structure…

Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA) Port of Ngqura has hosted the testing and launch of the first ever locally manufactured aluminium vessels by PE-based boat builder, Legacy Marine. As the company’s ship yard is based in Perseverance, the low bridges blocked the route to the Port of PE in the past, restricting the building of larger vessels. When the new Port of Ngqura stepped up as an alternative port, it contributed to the expansion of boat building in the Eastern Cape.“Now that the port is available for new vessel launches…

To say this book is a collection of research would be an understatement. “Contemporary Ideas on Ship Stability: Risk of Capsizing” is more like a preservation of knowledge covering the last nine years.Dr. Vadim Belenky, a naval architect in the Simulations and Analysis Branch at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, was the editor in chief for the book, the chapters of which are papers from engineers, naval architects and professors from around the world. Belenky himself co-authored four of the papers…

The end of 2018 provides an excellent opportunity to highlight some of the measures that have been taken by the maritime industry over the past year to develop a better understanding of autonomous shipping. A drive towards autonomous shipping has been embraced by many major players such as Rolls Royce and Wärtsilä, and this has led to numerous new strategies, visions, and projects that are pushing the boundaries of technological innovation. It’s no longer a matter of whether technology can achieve this next step…

The European Union (EU)-funded 'Safe maritime operations under extreme conditions: the Arctic case' (SEDNA) project is developing ways to improve the design, operation, navigation and anti-icing features of ships traversing the harsh Arctic region.SEDNA's innovations could help protect lives, safeguard the region's unique natural environment, and open more competitive routes for Europe's shippers, said a communication from EUROPA research information center.As the ice in the Arctic region retreats due to global warming, new maritime routes are opening up to shipping traffic. However the Arctic's extremely harsh conditions and the severe safety challenges for navigation teams increase the risk of accidents…

Performing a vessel inspection is an important task. Inspections by flag and port States are key to keeping ship standards high and in turn reducing accidents and pollution to the maritime environment.To maintain a high level of safety in the region, a Regional Caribbean Ship Inspector Training course (CASIT) (29 October – 16 November) has been held in Trinidad and Tobago, said a press release from International Maritime Organization (IMO).The objective of the course is to prepare ship surveyors to be able to work in a Caribbean maritime administration. On completion, trainees will be able to carry out flag State inspection (FSI) on…

Traveling across the globe from port to port, the U.S. Navy fleet transports sailors and Marines, aircraft, and supplies. Unfortunately, ships can also unintentionally transport stowaways, small organisms which live in ballast water. Most people would not look at small organisms like mitten crabs or zebra mussels and think they are a major threat to the environment – and in their natural habitats they pose no threat. But what happens when these organisms are introduced into a new ecosystem? According to Rachel Jacobs, a chemical engineer in the Wastewater Management Branch at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, the results of introducing non-native species into a new environment can be disastrous for the ecosystem…

An improved and upgraded version of the Miko Marine ShipArrestor system has been delivered to the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA). The system has been developed to give nations the ability to protect their coastlines from the danger of ships that have lost engine power and from the pollution that can result when they run aground. The ShipArrestor system uses a specially designed parachute-shaped sea anchor that is connected to a drifting ship by helicopter and secured without any need for crew involvement.

As the maritime regulatory regime evolves quickly, ship owners increasingly require guidance to help them navigate an ever-changing technical quagmire. Finland-based Foreship is a force in this regard. Finnish maritime prowess is legendary, particularly when it comes to the cruise ships and polar vessel sectors. Foreship aims to continue this legacy, an employee-owned company with a specialty in ship design and engineering. In an industry that is mobile and global, Foreship’s…

The Maritime Safety Research Center (MSRC) is an industry-university partnership, involving Strathclyde's Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean & Marine Engineering, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL), and DNV GL. The world’s first center of its kind, the MSRC will aim to improve safety at sea through a close collaboration between industry and academia, that targets interdisciplinary, common-threaded research and development. The Maritime Safety Research Center was officially opened this week by the IMO Secretary General Kitak Lim…

The Maritime Safety Research Centre (MSRC) is an industry-university partnership, involving Strathclyde's Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean & Marine Engineering, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL), and DNV GL. The world’s first centre of its kind, the MSRC will aim to improve safety at sea through a close collaboration between industry and academia, that targets interdisciplinary, common-threaded research and development. The Maritime Safety Research Centre was officially opened this week by the IMO Secretary General Kitak Lim, who looked at how the MSRC could play a role in the shift of maritime safety from empirical to risk-informed legislation and goal-based standards.